Goten's Birthday
by mahtar
Summary: *One shot* It's Goten's first birthday, and everyone's so happy to see him, so they think. What's gettin' to Goten? My first try at a tear-jerker


I don't own DBZ  
  
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Goten's Fifth Birthday  
  
  
  
"Mama? Can we have cake now?" Goten asked, tugging at his Mother's pant leg, and looking up with those irresistible puppy eyes. Well, they weren't that irresistible.  
  
  
  
"No, Goten, not until all the guests arrive." Chichi said gently as she pulled the cake out of the oven. Goten's mouth instantly began to water.  
  
  
  
"But it's my birthday!" He said, not letting his eyes leave the giant cake that he should have been devouring right now.  
  
  
  
"No! Goodness, you're just like your Father." Chichi said as she smiled down at her son. Goten could see the slight hurt behind her eyes. Like every time his Father was mentioned. Goten couldn't fathom what was so great about this man, if he couldn't even defeat Cell, which his 9 year old brother had to vanquish instead. He shook his head of these thoughts and went to find Gohan.  
  
  
  
Goten searched through the house but couldn't find any sign of Gohan. He wasn't even at his desk studying! *Maybe he's outside.* Goten thought, he sprinted to the door not wanting to waste another moment. As the little bullet approached the door, it flew open for him instead. Unfortunately, Goten couldn't put on his brakes fast enough and collided with his unsuspecting victim.  
  
  
  
"Ouch! What's the rush, squirt?" Gohan asked as he rubbed a forming lump on his head. He slowly stood up and started to pick up the now strewn about packages.  
  
  
  
"Gomen Oniisan. I was looking for you. Can we play outside?" Goten asked looking up at his brother with the same puppy eyes he gave his Mother. Again they didn't work, he'd have to think of something new.  
  
  
  
"Ah, not now little bro'. We've still got some final touches to do for your party. But you can help me with them, if you like." Gohan said, now laying the packages on a nearby table. Goten put on a huge grin and nodded enthusiastically. "Ok, ok, come on. We'll put up some streamers." Gohan said as he walked toward the closet. After a few minutes of fishing around in the bottomless pit, also known as the closet, they found some streamers to put up.  
  
  
  
In a few minutes, the two had hung brightly colored streamers all over the little cabin. Then, the doorbell rang.  
  
  
  
"Yay! Someone's here!" Goten shouted gleefully. He jumped from his seat on Gohan's shoulders' and bolted for the door. He practically ripped the door off of it's hinges, to simply  
  
open it and see who was on the other side. "Trunks!" The birthday boy shouted.  
  
  
  
"Hey Goten! Happy Birthday!" Trunks said as he handed Goten a present. Goten took the present and shook it next to his ear, trying to guess what it is. After a minute of trying, and not being able to guess, Goten gave up.  
  
  
  
"Arigatou Trunks, come in!" Goten said, and moved aside to let his friend in. Trunks walked in and was followed by a smiling Bulma, and a very disgruntled Vegeta. Goten was so happy, he now had three guests!  
  
  
  
"Mama! Guests are here! Can we have cake now!?" Goten shouted as he ran to the kitchen. He was a ball of fire that day.  
  
  
  
"No! Wait a little longer, dear." ChiChi said as she exited the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. She then walked over to greet Bulma and Vegeta. Goten sighed and his shoulders slumped a little. Gohan couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's despair. He acted so much like Goku, it was close to not funny. Close.  
  
  
  
"Come one squirt, we'll go out side and wait for the rest." Gohan said as he walked to the door that was still open. His foot was almost out the door, when two blurs whizzed by him.  
  
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Outside proved to be far more exciting than inside. Goten played hide and seek with Trunks and Gohan. However, Gohan seemed to find the other two, no problem. Goten couldn't figure out how he did it, but he didn't try to either. All that mattered to him right then was, it's his birthday, and he's playing with his older brother and best friend, waiting for cake!  
  
  
  
Goten quietly hid on his tree branch as he saw his friend's head walk by. Something flew by overhead causing Goten to loose his balance and fall out of the tree, landing with a thump on the ground.  
  
  
  
"This is what you humans do for fun?" A gruff voice asked.  
  
  
  
"Mr. Piccolo!" Goten exclaimed as he looked up at the intimidating green man. Piccolo didn't smile, but you could tell that he was pleased to see the happy little Goku clone. Gohan and Trunks jogged up to the other two.  
  
  
  
"Hey Piccolo! Come on Goten, just about everyone's here. Mom says we can have cake now." Gohan said. Goten pumped a little fist in the air and almost flew back to the house, even though he didn't know how, yet.  
  
  
  
As he arrived ChiChi was at the door greeting Kuririn, Juuhachi, and a little blonde Marron. Goten hurriedly said his hellos and then headed strait to the cake. He didn't even realize his Mother had put a birthday hat on him and almost everyone was singing happy birthday to him. Except Piccolo and Vegeta, whom wouldn't sing to save the universe. All that mattered was him, and that cake. Chichi patted his shoulder, signaling that he could blow out the candles. And blow them out he did. Everyone clapped, but Goten insisted on not wasting time on trivial things like clapping, it was time for cake!  
  
  
  
Goten munched happily on his cake while watching the other guests enjoy themselves. His Mother started putting presents in front of him, for him to open. He finished his sixth slice of wedding sized cake, and then turned to his presents! The next best thing to cake.  
  
  
  
Present opening went by fast, because Goten tore through the paper faster than he could say, "Arigatou!" And would then be onto the next present. He had received many wonderful things and he was truly grateful. After the presents, the adults began to talk as they slowly filtered out.  
  
  
  
"I know, and he looks just like him! Especially in the little orange gi. Goku and I....." Kuririn was saying to Yamucha, but Goten tuned him out. He could hear that slight touch of sadness in Kuririn's voice, like there always was when someone mentioned his Father.  
  
  
  
"Isn't that little truck adorable? I modeled it after the one I ran over Goku with when we first met..." Bulma was laughing with ChiChi, as they two reminisced. Goten couldn't stand that he was constantly compared with his Father. Who he hadn't even met! Goten quickly walked away from them too.  
  
  
  
His long face broke into a smile as he walked up to his brother, who was chatting with Mr. Piccolo.  
  
  
  
"Mom says, that Goten is Goku all over again. Down to the way they eat!" He said with a chuckle. Goten stopped in his tracks as he watched his brother now gaze out the window. With a melancholy look on his face. Goten knew instantly who he was thinking of. He couldn't bear that he was possibly that pain too. Goten walked over to a table and sat under it, hidden by the table cloth. He curled up on the floor and just waited for everyone to leave. Everyone to stop talking about....that man.  
  
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Goten must have dozed off, because the next thing he heard was his Mother calling for him. Goten sat up and rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes. Though he was under the table cloth, he could tell that it was still night time.  
  
  
  
"I'm here Mama," He said as he slowly crawled out from under the table.  
  
  
  
"Sweetheart, were you there the whole time? Everyone's gone, but they were happy to be here." ChiChi voiced softly as she watched her son stand to his feet. "Come here, my little angel." Goten complied, and trotted over to his Mother. He climbed onto her lap and snuggled in, while she wrapped her arms around him.  
  
  
  
"My little Goten, you remind me so much of your Father. In every way." ChiChi said with a sigh. He couldn't help that burning feeling in his heart, at the mention of that man. Goten tried to ignore it, but jerked a little when he felt her begin to shake. He looked up to see her crying.  
  
  
  
"Mama? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." Goten said, his eyes itching, wanting to spill out tears himself. He hadn't meant to cause so much pain to everyone. He couldn't help it if they looked at him and saw his Father staring back.  
  
  
  
"Oh no, honey, it's not you. Not...at...all." ChiChi tried to soothe between tears. Goten couldn't bear it anymore. He couldn't watch his Mother in this pain. He climbed off of her lap and ran to the door, into the night.  
  
  
  
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Goten ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, leaving a trail of tears behind him. That burning feeling in his eyes, of tears wanting to escape, as his throat seemed to tighten. He was determined to not let his sobs out. It wasn't fair, he didn't ask to look like...that man. Heck, he didn't want to look like him at this point. Goten hated being the reason of this pain that he saw in their eyes, and heard in their voices when they were connecting him to...that man.  
  
  
  
Goten didn't even notice where he was running to, until he slowed to a stop and observed his surroundings. Ah yes, he knew now. The place that Gohan took him to go fishing, where supposedly, Gohan had gone fishing with...that man. Goten sat down at the banks of the lake and stared at the reflection of the moonlight on the water. Slowly rocking himself, to relieve the ache in his heart. It was as though someone was squeezing it, a little harder with each beat.  
  
  
  
He began to think about something Gohan had told him. That Goku didn't want to be wished back. Why? Why did this man feel it was ok to cause this much hurting to so many? Were they all that easy to just cast aside? Why didn't he want to even meet his son?  
  
  
  
Goten didn't have long to reflect on his thoughts of his late Father. He heard Gohan land behind him, but didn't bother to turn around or even acknowledge his presence. He heard Gohan walk over and sit down next to him, silently waiting for him to speak. Goten remained silent and unmoving, intent on not looking at Gohan, knowing that those cries of misery were sure to slip out.  
  
  
  
"So, squirt. What's up? Mom says you ran out of the house." Gohan said trying to look into Goten's eyes. If he was able to see into them, he would undoubtedly notice the hurt and pain within. Goten remained silent for a moment longer, until he decided to brake the silence.  
  
  
  
"What did he do that was so great?" Goten asked, deathly quiet.  
  
  
  
"Who?" Gohan asked, intrigued at what could possible put the normally happy Goten into such a miserable mood.  
  
  
  
"That man, who you call Father. I don't understand how he was so wonderful, yet had no problem with causing this pain to so many. He's terrible." Goten said, still looking at the water.  
  
  
  
"Goten, what are you saying...." Gohan started to say, he always got angry at anyone insulting his Father, even if it was his own brother.  
  
  
  
"I'm saying, that I hate him." Goten said. Gohan was infuriated at this statement.  
  
  
  
"Shut up! How can you hate him! You've never even met him!" Gohan shouted, as soon as the words left his mouth, he'd of given his life to take them back. Goten turned to look at him with those onyx eyes that held so much pain and anger.  
  
  
  
"I know." He answered with such bitterness.  
  
  
  
Gohan was taken aback at his brother's current disposition. Goten always seemed to like hearing about his Father, what had suddenly gotten to him.  
  
  
  
"Goten, I'm sorry. I just don't understand why you are all of a sudden feeling this way." Gohan said, trying to get back on his brother's good side. Goten turned to look Gohan in the eyes. It hurt Gohan to see the anguish written clearly on all of his features.  
  
  
  
"I hate it, how every time someone looks at me, they think of him. And that's painful to them. It's terrible being this sign of misery to all who knew him. I'm his little clone...look just like him....act like him, down to the way they eat. I don't want to have anything to do with him! I don't want to hurt people, but when I see them, they see him. And he brings that pain." Goten said. Tears were now cascading down his little cheeks. He had finally let it all out, however, that burden seemed to still be on his shoulders. The tears didn't relieve that ache in his heart.  
  
  
  
Gohan didn't know what to say to this. He wasn't sure how to approach the situation at all. But, something stirred inside him. Something deep down, that seemed to guide him. Gohan put his arms around the little boy and pulled him into a hug. Goten didn't respond at first, but then wrapped his small arms around Gohan's neck and continued to cry into his shirt. Gohan didn't say anything. He simply rocked Goten slowly back and forth in his arms until the tears died down. Goten now leaned back, wiping his face with his shirt sleeve. He then looked down at Gohan's chest, too ashamed to look him in the face. Gohan looked down into Goten's face, but couldn't meet his eyes.  
  
  
  
"Goten, I know this must hurt you. How much, I couldn't imagine. But believe me, no one thinks that you are a burden of pain. No one wants you to feel that way. Dad was a wonderful man, he sacrificed so much for the people he loved. That's why he didn't come back. It was to protect you. You, and me, and Trunks, and everyone. He didn't want you to have to go through that pain. I know this would be better coming from him, but in a way, it is. The same way we all get a little bit of him from you." Gohan soothed. Goten slowly lifted his eyes to look Gohan in the eyes.  
  
  
  
He could see truth in those eyes, and genuine concern. But there was something else. Something Goten hadn't noticed before. It was as though someone else was looking through Gohan's eyes and into his soul. It gave Goten a warm feeling, and the weight on his shoulders seemed to be lifted. The pain in his heart ebbed away. Goten smiled, and wrapped his arms around Gohan once again.  
  
  
  
"Arigatou oniisan."  
  
  
  
R&R, did I make you cry? 


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